Share This Post

Slammin’ Felix Sama, 96.5 WPOW “Power 96” Miami | September 17, 1996

It’s Midnight at the start this 17-minute scope of ‘Miami’s Power Station’. Primarily a Hip Hop station, at this point in time, WPOW is playing a wide variety of music pulling from several genres – from Hispanic to Old Skool to 90s mainstream hits, this is a unique blend of everything non-Rock and non-Country. Honestly, No Doubt’s “Don’t Speak” seems quite out-of-place in this mix of party songs aimed at a young South Florida audience.

Historically speaking, this station does have a heritage Top 40 in its past, albeit technically a different station but one that older site visitors would remember – WMJX (96X), and before that, WMYQ. That station lost its license in 1981 and therefore technically, WPOW is no relation. This station began on June 15, 1985 as WCJX as the new owners tried to recapture the old 96X Top 40 glory days. Also, to clarify some confusion, the former station from WMJX back was on 96.3 FM. WCJX/WPOW was/is on 96.5 FM. And you think you’re confused??!!

As a side note, interestingly enough, when WMJX Miami was deleted in 1981, the call letters were picked up by a new ownership group in Boston, who put them on 106.7 where they reside today with the same AC format. In Boston, the former station was WBZ-FM, which was simply deleted (didn’t change format) when then owner Westinghouse Broadcasting simply turned in the FM license, not knowing just what to do with it’s FM properties at the time.

Here at Airchexx, we focus attention on classic radio without regard to format, so that the world may remember what radio before consolidation was – LIVE and LOCAL. Power 96 served the Miami area proudly with local jocks and supporting the South Florida community, and as of this writing, still does today.

Share This Post

4 Comments

My how things have changed since then.. Power 96 back in those days aimed for an audience of all different ages and types.. It was a spectacular station that I would listen to everyday.. Then the 2000s came.. They became another 99jamz… At this point I completely stopped listening to that station.. Though within the recent year they have gotten just slightly better with the urban music, but not enough to pull me to listening to them.. They and Y-100 seem to cater to the young female audience as the same for that new station on 97.3 that took over Coast 97.3.. There is only so many Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Pitbull and Calvin Harris songs I can listen to before I quickly get tired of them to the point I don’t want to hear them at all… This clip clearly shows how much better the radio was in those times…I think the radio has gotten too Corporate and don’t give local artists a chance anymore.. Seems to be all about looks and popularity.. But that’s an example why music in general has gone to hell in a hand basket…

I agree with Adam. This clip is reminiscent of Power 96’s long-gone glory days (80s to late 90s). It’s true that once Party 93.1 burst onto the scene in the early 2000s, Power 96 suddenly and inexplicably decided to compete with model itself after 99 JAMZ. Since then, it has never quite been the same. With outstanding jocks and DJs — from DJ Laz, Felix Sama, Eddie Mix, and Kid Curry to Cox on the Radio, Tony the Tiger and Bo Griffin — the station was at its very best. When I think back on my childhood, I picture Power 96 blasting through the speakers at Hot Wheels, The Youth Fair, and other places I frequented. It’s a real shame that kids today will never get a taste of what the old Power 96 was really like.

Reading the article where it says that No Doubt’s Don’t speak seemed out of the ordinary for a party station.. Actually Power 96 would throw in a few rock songs here and there that was kinda out of place for a station like that.. But then again I thought it fitted fine.. I remember when they would constantly play Meatloaf’s I would Do Anything For Love.. They also had Duran Duran’s Ordinary World and Come undone on their playlist, I think it was around the same time they also had Boy George’s the Crying Game on their playlist too.. Those weren’t really party songs, but it fitted into the era when Power 96 once was..